Do You Create Value

Many of the resumes sent to me read like a job description. The person lists the roles they had along with the responsibilities of the role. If I know a person well, I will tease them by saying they downloaded their resume from a Google search. After we enjoy a good laugh, we discuss how the resume should illustrate the value they have provided. Saved the company a chunk of money? Value. Taught a group of employees a new advanced technique? Value. Convinced your office to do a paintball outing as a team building activity? Plenty of value.

As employees, we are all on a continuum that starts at "Order Taker," and proceeds up to "Value Creator." Order Takers do exactly what they are told to do, they answer exactly the question you ask of them. Value Creators take ownership of items, figuring out the intent of the requests they receive, then going beyond the request to help people create the future. Order Taker and Value Creator are the two extremes between which most of us exist. Do yourself, and everyone around you, a favor. Create as much value as possible.